Piano pedal extension



July 18, 1933. T. WOODALL PIANO PEDAL EXTENSION Filed May 25, 1932 m f aMy i W i V p oo@ o o WW w M, MEG r L M; a 0 w rw 7 P l 2 2 v i \3 a & oooQoQoQ 7/ 41* oo Q@0@0@ G. w E 5 4 m Patented July 18, 1933 PATENTOFFICE THOMAS WOODALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PIANO PEDAL EXTENSIONApplication. filed ma 25,

This invention relates to an improved piano pedal extension, and has forone of its principal objects the provision of means whereby piano pedalsmay be conveniently operated by children or persons with short legs.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide anextension for piano pedals or the like which shall additionally includea foot rest whereby more accurate In operation of the pedalscan beaccomplished and wherein the feet themselves are given adequate supportat all times whether the device is being actively used or not.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of apedal extension for pianos and the like which is adjustable so as to beaccommodated to various 7 individuals as desired and which adjustmentsare so arranged that there is no possibility of the device slipping orgetting out of adjustment while in use.

Another and still further important object of the invention resides inthe provision of means for attaching the extension to both the pianopedal and the piano itself so that the same will fdrm an integral partof the instrument without any danger of displacement or becoming loose.

A still further object of the invention in cludes the provision ofelements in a pedal extension for pianos whereby the same can bedisconnected from the pedal and used simply as a foot rest for use bysmall children especially beginners who have not as yet learned theoperation of the pedals.

()ther and further important objects of the invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and followingspecification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is shown in the drawing andhereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved piano pedal extension ofthis invention of which, of course, there may be two or three as desiredor necessary.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the pedal extension showing particularlythe base, foot .932. Serial No. 613,343.

rest, and means for attaching the same to the piano.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing the main support for the extensiontogether with the adjustable features.

Figure 4: illustrates in detail an associated embodiment of theinvention whereby the pedal extension can be removed and clamped to thebase forming a simple foot rest.

As shown in the drawing:

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally the base of the improvedpiano pedal eX- tension of this invention, the same being formed of woodor metal or other similar material and shaped to correspond to therequirements of the situation.

Mounted on the base 10 is an extension or extensions 12 comprisingpreferably a metal strip or the like as best shown in Figures 1 and 2,having its end bent upwardly as at let in Figure 1 and having anassociated element 16 also formed with strip metal and having its endbent upwardly at 17, these upwardly bent ends having suitable openingsthrough which a fastening bolt or the like 18 passes. A nut 19 isprovided on the bolt, and when the same is tightened the upwardlyextending ends 14 and 17 are adapted to suitably grip that port-ion 20of the piano which. extends downwardly in the usual construction.

Suitable openings 22 are provided in the elements 12 and 16 throughwhich are passed bolts or the like 24 having nuts 26 on the end thereofand by fitting these bolts 24 into aligned openings, the metal stripscan be so adjusted with respect to each other that various thicknessesof the element 20 can be accommodated.

A slot 28 is provided in that portion of the metal strip 12 which isadjacent the base element 10, and a pair of bolts or the like 30 arefitted through this slot extending into the base 10 whereby the positionof the strip 12 with respect to the base may be adjusted, therebyadjustably mounting the entire device with respect to the piano and thepedals.

In this manner, the extension can be adapted for use with long or shortpedals.

An angle element 32 is mounted on the base 10, the same having anupstanding face as best shown in Figure 3, the face being slotted asshown at 34 and into this slot is adapted to be fitted a pair of boltsor the like 36 which pass through suitable openings in the lower end ofthe plate 38. This plate has associated therewith another upstandingplate 40 which is also adjustably mounted thereon by means of bolts orthe like 42. The slot 34: in the angle element 32 provides a lateraladjustment of the upstanding supports 3840 so that each pedal extensioncan be moved laterally with respect to the base so as to accommodatevarying width between the piano pedals themselves.

A hinge element 44 is mounted at the top of the uppermost extension 40,and to this hinge element is secured the lower plate 46 of a foot rest.

This foot rest is provided with aheel support 48 shaped as best shown inFigure 1, and this heel support is adjustably mounted in the main. plate46 by means of bolts or the like 50.

A toe plate 52 is also provided, this being adjustably mounted on themain plate 46 by means of bolts or the like 54;, and the toe plate isshaped as best shown in Figure 2.

A hinge element 56'is mounted on the forward end of the main supportinplate 46, this hinge element being similar to the corresponding element44 and having attached thereto extension elements 58 and 60 as bestshown in Figure 1, these extension elements being adjustably connectedto each other by means of bolts or the like 62.

At the lower end of the extension element 60 there is attached a hingedplate or the like 64 which in turn can be removably mounted on the pianopedal 66 by means of a clamping plate 68 and bolts and nuts 70.

As lest shown in Figure 4, the lower end of the plate 60 can be affixedto the base 10 by simply fastening the hinge plate 64 to the base 10 bymeans of suitable belts or screws '72, this mounting being for thepurpose of supporting the foot rest in fixed position whenever the useof the pedal extension is not desired. but when it is d sired to supportthe feet of a person havi short legs such as for example, a veryelementary student or be ginner. usually a smaller child.

It will be evident that herein is provided a pedal extension for pianosor the like which,

in addition to allowing a person with short legs to properly operatepedals also provides a very satisfactory support for the feet of such aperson at all times whether the device is in use or not, and thisconstitues quite an improvement over the prior usage which simplyallowed the dangling of the legs of children causing prematuretiredness.

The device also eliminates undue stretching of the feet of personshaving short legs in an attempt to reach the pedals, thereby allowing afull concentration on the work of the hands, while at the same timepermitting of a very satisfactory pedaling, thereby producing a muchbetter effect so far as the educational requirements are concerned. Theuniversal nature of the adjustments with which the device is providedallows the same to be used with any instrument and with any operator,and the changes can be effected in a very short space of time, and afterbeing effected, are positively fixed, precluding any necessity ofcontinual adjustn'lent, and at the same time retaining the apparatus inproper steady supporting position for the feet and for the pedaloperation.

Iain aware thatmany changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction varied throughout a wide range without departing from thespirit of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting thepatent granted hereon, otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1.. A piano pedal extension including a base and a pedal extension, andmeans for adjustably affixing the base to the piano, said meanscomprising a clamp adapted to be mounted on the piano and a slide memberintegral. with the clamp, a similar slide member mounted on the base,and bolts for ad-- justably connecting the two slide members, togetherwith means for adjusting the height of the pedal extension, said meanscomprising a pair of slides, and bolts for locking the same in fixedrelationship to each other, and a foot support adjust-ably mounted onthe base, the foot support connecting the base and the pedal extension,the connections of the foot support to the base and the pedal extensioncomprising hinged mountings, and a further hinged mounting between thepedal extension and the pedal clamp.

2. A piano pedal extension comprising a base, means for removably andadjustably affixing the base to a piano, a standard on the base meansfor adjusting the height of the standard, a foot support at the upperend of the standard, means foradjusting the length of the foot support,a pedal extension hingedly connected to the foot support, and means forremovably and hingedly mounting the lower end of the pedal extension toa piano pedal, together with means for atiixing the lower end of thepedal extension to the base when pedal operation is not desired.

THOMAS WOODALL.

